"Upon grinding, the aroma presents citrus, orange, honey, and black tea. On the palate, citrus, grapefruit, and orange lead, followed by honey and subtle floral notes. The cup is sweet and clean."
Santa Teresa 2000 is a family-run micro-mill managed by Roger Ureña Hidalgo and his son, Alex Ureña. Roger grew up working alongside his father, continuing a coffee-growing tradition shared by his grandparents. He began establishing his own coffee nurseries at fifteen and later invested in expanding the family’s plantations. Developing a micro-mill allowed the family to take greater responsibility for processing and preparing its harvests.
The operation is based in Santa María de Dota, within Costa Rica’s Tarrazú region. This H17 coffee is grown at 2,000 metres above sea level. The elevation places it within the cool mountain conditions associated with Dota’s highland coffee production. Such conditions generally slow cherry maturation, making careful harvesting particularly important.
H17 is an Arabica hybrid developed from a cross between Catuaí and Ethiopian genetic material. Costa Rican agricultural references recognise it for high productivity and strong potential for cup quality. As a hybrid selection, it is propagated vegetatively to preserve its characteristics. It sits within a broader movement towards greater genetic diversity in Central American coffee cultivation.
Fully washed preparation removes the cherry’s skin, pulp and mucilage before the coffee completes drying. The essential sequence moves from cherry selection and depulping to mucilage removal, followed by drying in parchment. Removing these fruit layers distinguishes washed preparation from natural and honey processing. The parchment is subsequently removed during dry milling to prepare the green beans.
Roger and Alex combine their farming experience with continued exploration of varieties and processing approaches. Managing both the farms and mill gives the family oversight across successive stages of production. Santa Teresa 2000 also participates in Costa Rica’s NAMA Café programme and has introduced greenhouse patios for solar drying and reduced energy consumption. Its approach connects the development of coffee quality with practical improvements in how the operation uses resources.
Variety : H17
Altitude : 2,000 masl
Process : Fully Washed
Origin : Santa María de Dota, Tarrazu